her son?
“Yes. They’re the same age and have been best friends since they were in diapers. I’ll introduce her to you later if you’d like.”
“Okay.” What else could Jiao say? She’d already met a ton of family members and people. She doubted she’d remember even a quarter of their names by morning.
“Oh dear. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I hear the door again.” Off Meredith went leaving Jiao with an uncomfortable appearing Sheng.
“Why didn’t you mention she was the handyman’s mother?” her brother hissed in her ear.
She shrugged in reply lest their conversation become common knowledge. Already she wondered if her decision to come was a bad one given the attention they kept drawing. It seemed Sheng’s paranoia was contagious. “I’m thirsty. Let’s go find a drink.”
Not waiting to see if her brother followed, Jiao weaved her way through the crowd, most of the bodies towering over her more petite frame. They sure bred them big around here, and clumsy. A man stumbled into her, and she might have fallen if a pair of strong hands – replete with a tingle – hadn’t caught her. She didn’t need to look up to know Chris held her.
“Thanks,” she muttered, trying to pull free before Sheng saw.
However, Chris didn’t immediately let go, leaving one hand on her waist and guiding her through the crowd, his large body clearing the way.
“Where are we going?” she asked, peering anxiously over her shoulder, expecting to see a glowering Sheng at their heels. To her surprise, her brother, usually glued to her side, was nowhere in sight.
“You looked kind of overwhelmed, so I thought I’d take us somewhere a little quieter.”
“But what about Sh—Jack?”
“He’s busy right now with my cousin Gina.”
Turning her head again, Jiao scanned the crowd until she spotted her brother’s stiff back. Then she bit her lip, just imagining his consternation when the voluptuous Gina draped an arm around him and whispered something in his ear. Coincidence or planned? Did Chris just use his cousin as a distraction so he could spirit me elsewhere?
Eyeing Chris, who led her away from the crowd with purpose, she could honestly say she didn’t care. The simple touch of his fingers on her waist teased her, and rendered her hyper aware of him by her side. She ignored the looks they got. Forgot her brother. Under a spell of curiosity, she let him lead her somewhere private. Somewhere hopefully alone.
Opening a door to the kitchen, which immediately immersed her in heavenly smells, he then opened a second door and flicked on a switch. At his urging she headed down the stairs first. Where are we going? His bedroom? Oh how her pulse quickened at the thought. She got the destination wrong, though.
As they reached the bottom step, she noted a basement gym. And what a space. Momentarily entranced, she stepped away from Chris and eyed the professionally finished space. She ran her fingers over the padded walls. Noted the vinyl, cushioned floor. The hemp wrapped posts. The monkey bars going up the wall and across the ceiling. The pegs on the wall, and so much more.
“Did you build this?” she asked in wonder, now able to finally picture what her own basement gym might look like once done. Although, she also planned to add some plants to give it a more of a jungle feel.
“Yes, with a little help from my dad. Our original gym got wrecked. My brothers and I can get kind of unruly.”
Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, he understated. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Four and one pesky sister who’s worse than them all. What about you?”
“Me?” She bit her lip. What to admit? “One brother.”
“Older? Younger? Prettier?”
“Older and bossy,” she answered with a laugh.
“I’m familiar with the type,” he remarked dryly. “What about the rest of your family? Do they live nearby?”
The question killed her mirth. “I have no one else. Only my brother.”
“I’m
“Yes. They’re the same age and have been best friends since they were in diapers. I’ll introduce her to you later if you’d like.”
“Okay.” What else could Jiao say? She’d already met a ton of family members and people. She doubted she’d remember even a quarter of their names by morning.
“Oh dear. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I hear the door again.” Off Meredith went leaving Jiao with an uncomfortable appearing Sheng.
“Why didn’t you mention she was the handyman’s mother?” her brother hissed in her ear.
She shrugged in reply lest their conversation become common knowledge. Already she wondered if her decision to come was a bad one given the attention they kept drawing. It seemed Sheng’s paranoia was contagious. “I’m thirsty. Let’s go find a drink.”
Not waiting to see if her brother followed, Jiao weaved her way through the crowd, most of the bodies towering over her more petite frame. They sure bred them big around here, and clumsy. A man stumbled into her, and she might have fallen if a pair of strong hands – replete with a tingle – hadn’t caught her. She didn’t need to look up to know Chris held her.
“Thanks,” she muttered, trying to pull free before Sheng saw.
However, Chris didn’t immediately let go, leaving one hand on her waist and guiding her through the crowd, his large body clearing the way.
“Where are we going?” she asked, peering anxiously over her shoulder, expecting to see a glowering Sheng at their heels. To her surprise, her brother, usually glued to her side, was nowhere in sight.
“You looked kind of overwhelmed, so I thought I’d take us somewhere a little quieter.”
“But what about Sh—Jack?”
“He’s busy right now with my cousin Gina.”
Turning her head again, Jiao scanned the crowd until she spotted her brother’s stiff back. Then she bit her lip, just imagining his consternation when the voluptuous Gina draped an arm around him and whispered something in his ear. Coincidence or planned? Did Chris just use his cousin as a distraction so he could spirit me elsewhere?
Eyeing Chris, who led her away from the crowd with purpose, she could honestly say she didn’t care. The simple touch of his fingers on her waist teased her, and rendered her hyper aware of him by her side. She ignored the looks they got. Forgot her brother. Under a spell of curiosity, she let him lead her somewhere private. Somewhere hopefully alone.
Opening a door to the kitchen, which immediately immersed her in heavenly smells, he then opened a second door and flicked on a switch. At his urging she headed down the stairs first. Where are we going? His bedroom? Oh how her pulse quickened at the thought. She got the destination wrong, though.
As they reached the bottom step, she noted a basement gym. And what a space. Momentarily entranced, she stepped away from Chris and eyed the professionally finished space. She ran her fingers over the padded walls. Noted the vinyl, cushioned floor. The hemp wrapped posts. The monkey bars going up the wall and across the ceiling. The pegs on the wall, and so much more.
“Did you build this?” she asked in wonder, now able to finally picture what her own basement gym might look like once done. Although, she also planned to add some plants to give it a more of a jungle feel.
“Yes, with a little help from my dad. Our original gym got wrecked. My brothers and I can get kind of unruly.”
Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, he understated. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Four and one pesky sister who’s worse than them all. What about you?”
“Me?” She bit her lip. What to admit? “One brother.”
“Older? Younger? Prettier?”
“Older and bossy,” she answered with a laugh.
“I’m familiar with the type,” he remarked dryly. “What about the rest of your family? Do they live nearby?”
The question killed her mirth. “I have no one else. Only my brother.”
“I’m
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